Hospitals and doctors are supposed to help people, not harm or even kill them. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. In fact, over 400,000 people die each year because of problems that are caused by medical mistakes.

This means that people who are seeking treatment for an illness or injury become further injured, sick or even die from something a doctor or medical staff member does, not the illness or disease they already had. That’s right—over 1,000 people die every day because of a medical mistake.

Common Types of Errors

When you check into Fairfax Surgical Center, Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, or any other medical facility in the area, there’s a chance you could come out worse than when you went it, if you are able to leave at all. Here, we take a look at some of the medical mistakes that could take the life of someone you love this year.

Sponges or other surgical equipment are left inside the body during surgery, causing extreme pain and a potentially fatal infection.

A baby or child receives a dose of medication that is intended for an adult and is killed by the overdose.

An anesthesiologist miscalculates the amount of anesthesia the patient receives, gives too much, and causes the heart to stop.

Dirty surgical equipment causes a major infection that antibiotics are unable to clear up.

A nurse gives a patient medication he is allergic to, despite the warnings stated on the chart, causing the person to go into shock and die.

Even those who aren’t victims of medical errors pay for them. Hospitals increase the prices of their services to compensate for their mistakes and also pass on the extra costs to the tax payers and businesses buying health benefits for the infected patient.

We Can Fight for You

If you or someone you love was the victim of a medical mistake, you have rights, and the attorneys of Shevlin Smith wants to help you fight for them. Contact us today to learn how.